Elizabeth Long

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Elizabeth Long

Major:

MFA Art Education with An Emphasis in Special Populations

She took classes in the Young Artists Workshop, attended the Summer Art & Design Institute (SADI), earned her BFA in Fine Arts, and completed her Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Studies in Art Education at Moore.

Oh, and she also took Continuing Education classes.

“Moore is my home away from home,” she said. “I know the security guards and the teachers, even ones that I haven’t had. I love the location of Moore and I love the camaraderie that everyone has. I have so many friends and have made so many connections here.”

Long, 29, earned her BFA in 2007 as a Fine Arts major. “I had this grand idea that I was going to be a beatnik artist living on the streets in some exotic country and selling my artwork” – but a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis made her rethink things, and ultimately led to a career in Art Education.

“I started working with individuals for an organization supporting adults with various abilities/disabilities and realized how much limitation can inspire creativity and a desire to adapt in order to participate, not just with art, but in everyday life,” she said.

“It snapped me out of feeling sorry for myself and pushed me into wanting to inspire and motivate others. I realized I wanted to go into teaching. It wasn't until I took Art Education at Moore that I learned two of the most important lessons of my life: that every moment is a teachable moment, and that everyone is capable of anything.”

Long completed her Post Baccalaureate degree in Art Education in 2010 and graduated with her MA in Art Education with an emphasis in special populations this past summer.

“I wanted to do the MA program because it was for special needs students,” she said. “Moore’s was a highly talked about program in this area. Everything about the program made sense to me. I already had made adaptive tools for the people I worked with. Everything I was already doing could be made better and was made better through the program.”

Today, Long teaches high school art part-time at the Multi-Cultural Academy Charter School in Philadelphia. She also works at a puppet shop called Character Translations in Norristown.

In her spare time, she runs a Facebook group called Philadelphia Artist’s Exchange that allows artists to buy/sell/trade or give away art items, from brand new to half-used tubes of paint, etc.

“It has helped a lot in collecting materials for my students and connecting with artists all over Philadelphia,” she said.

Long credits her experience at Moore with helping her find her voice and gain confidence in her abilities. The fact that it’s an all women’s institution was a bonus, she said.

“I didn’t have a voice when I first came to Moore,” Long said. “I think mine built up over time. I don’t know if I would have had the same confidence level if there were males in the classroom. I gained a lot of confidence from working with other women and empowering each other. Now I can talk to anyone.”

Long said she is a strong supporter of the Art Education program at Moore.

“It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” she said. “The instructors are amazing people that I still stay connected to. They share so much and are really accessible.

“I’m pretty much the Moore ambassador. I told Lynne [Horoschak, program director for the MA in Art Education] to call me when they get a doctorate program together.”